Jobs at British High Commission

The British Government is an inclusive and diversity-friendly employer. We value difference, promote equality and challenge discrimination, enhancing our organisational capability. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We do not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, colour, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, age, veteran status or other category protected by law. We promote family-friendly flexible working opportunities, where operational and security needs allow.

This is an excellent programme officer role in the West Africa Regional Conflict and Security Team, in the British High Commission in Abuja.

This dynamic and growing team has a regional remit in support of upstream conflict prevention, rapid crises response and security in the West Africa and security sector institutional reform. The team currently oversees £30m p.a programmes across West Africa region supporting a range of UK Government departments in Nigeria, the Sahel and Manu River Union (MRU) such as the Foreign Office (FCO), Department for International Development (DFID), Ministry of Defence (MOD) and National Crime Agency (NCA).

The job holder will be responsible for the effective management of programmes and underpinning projects funded by the CSSF in Nigeria (and wider West Africa as needed). This involves working with programme leads, implementing partners and stakeholders to help manage and monitor projects within the CSSF portfolio to time, cost and quality.

Roles and responsibilities:

Programme Management

Oversee and support the programme management of approximately £23m CSSF funds p.a. in Nigeria being delivered by lead departments and external implementers.

Work with relevant lead departments to run procurement processes and draft and agree contracts with implementing partners.

Oversee programmes to ensure that delivery is to time, cost and quality. Identify problems and success, escalating as needed.

Liaise with finance officer on ensuring accurate and timely budget and spend figures are provided by the Nigeria programme.

First point of contact for implementers on management and delivery.

Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E)

Undertake regular reporting on projects progress to the Head of CSSF West Africa and team, CSSF Working Group and Local Strategy Board chaired by the DHC and HC respectively.Work with programme leads and implementing partners to monitor progress against set criteria to deliver programme and component objectives.

Ensure regular reporting from implementing partners against their programme and projects plans.

Highlight successes, risks and opportunities, and help identify and assess new projects.

Arrange review visits drawing on in-house or external expertise.

Ensure feedback from monitoring is acted on by implementing partners and relevant stakeholders.

This is a new position as an administrative officer for counter-terrorism (CT) colleagues within the British High Commission in Abuja. The jobholder will provide support across the mission’s CT work. This will include support for First Secretary CT (line manager for the postion, also a new slot), First Secretary Home Affairs, SO15 Counter-Terrorism Police Liaison Officers (CTPLOs) and Criminal Justice and Crisis Response Teams.

The successful candidate will need excellent administration skills, and to be able to prioritise and cope well under pressure. On any given day, they will be working to a variety of Chancery colleagues and across various projects, with changing circumstances and priorities. They will need to be proactive (for example, resolving issues by a telephone call or visit where more appropriate), have good judgement (including knowing when to escalate issues to team members) and be highly organised, keeping track of deadlines and requests.

This will be a varied and interesting position – the jobholder can expect to get a good background on CT work across the mission. As well as the core duties set out in the job description, there will be scope to get out and about and more directly involved in your CT colleagues’ work, from helping them to deliver training or crisis exercising, acting as a note-taker at external meetings, and helping to look after official visitors that might range from senior UK judges, police or counter-terrorism experts. There will be numerous opportunities to learn and develop, including by shadowing colleagues dealing with policy, financial, and programme management work.

Roles and responsibilities / what will the jobholder be expected to achieve?:

Routine administrative support including bulk printing/photocopying/collating briefing or training packs

Meeting co-ordination, including booking internal or external rooms, making diary appointments or invitations and arranging IT/catering/etc as required

Arranging programmes for official visitors, including making flight and hotel bookings, facilitating visas, and passing on information to visitors on issues such as security, invoicing etc.

General support to the team including co-ordinating stationery orders, transport requests, IT requests, drafting of meeting agendas, invitations or other documents as required.

Information management including managing the shared folder and ensuring paper and electronic filing, storage and security of documents (particularly key documents such as briefings, contracts, invoices)

Establishing and maintaining a contacts list for Chancery CT colleagues.

Supporting the team’s move to the new BHC premises in May 2016, including ensuring assets & documentation moved over securely and keeping track of colleagues’ contact details.

Supporting operational deployments of CTPLOs within Nigeria and the Lake Chad region including travel and accommodation bookings, and processing of expense claims.

Overall, co-ordinating administrative activities to ensure that the day-to-day operational needs of the team are met.

Essential qualifications and experience

Experience of providing administrative support in a busy working environment

A high level of oral and written English skills

Strong organisational skills including attending to detail, keeping track of deadlines, and ability to manage own work with limited supervision

Strong collaborative skills including professional and confident communication with external stakeholders and team members

IT skills including in MS Office applications Word and Excel

Desirable qualifications and experience

Prior experience of working with the UK or other governments, NGOs or similar oganisations

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